RFT Motors

05/10/2024

23/09/2024

At RFT Motors, we will always check from a manufacturer database the right oil grade & specifications to put in your engine.

Using the right oil grade, like 5w30, is not sufficient to guarantee the longevity of your engine, choosing the right specification, 504.00/507.00 for Volkswagen & Audi for example in this case matters a lot.

In addition, RFT will use only approved oil suppliers from the manufacturer to choose from. The oil grade & specification use by RFT during the service of your car will always be mentioned on your invoice.

Where ever you give your car for service, check and ask for it on your invoice!

It is the only way to prove to a car manufacturer that you've maintained your car properly in case of a warranty claim.

German car specialist: BMW, AUDI & VW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche

18/09/2024

Case study: vw transporter T4. Immobilizer permanently active due to corroded chips & speedo cluster fried due to multiple jump start generating current overloads in the electrical system. Crank but no start.

ECU repaired, IMMO maintained & speedo cluster replaced & recoded. ✅

16/09/2024

Stellantis, owning Peugeot, has recently raised a service bulletin to its dealer to change the oil grade to be used on all car fitted with 1.2 puretech gdi petrol engine.

It is now well known that these engines are suffering from premature failure of the timing belt, called Belt In Oil, BIO.

These BIO are operating inside the engine case, in direct contact with the main engine oil. With time, the rubber timing belt will react with the oil chemical components & start to degrade/dissolve itself prematurely.

Main consequences are the destruction of the engine and/or the sudden loss of braking assistance.

Peugeot has found out that the current oil grade & specification recommended for these engines, 0w30 B712312 is reacting badly with the timing belt rubber components.

To avoid this situation, they are now recommanding to use the oil 5w30 B712290 instead.

This change is applicable immediately.

If you are an owner of a Peugeot fitted with a 1.2 puretech engine, please get in touch with us to book a oil change. We will check the health status of your belt at the same time.

10/09/2024

Luxury Motors are my speciality! 🛞 🧰

Feel free to contact me for more information about the types of services that I can offer as a mobile mechanic ! 🧑‍🔧

07/09/2024

Immobilizer fault VW TRANSPORTER T4.

Immobilizer permanently active due to corroded chips & speedo cluster fried due to multiple jump start generating current overloads in the electrical system. Crank but no start.

ECU repaired ✅
IMMO maintained ✅
SPEEDO cluster replaced & recoded ✅

HAPPY CUSTOMER ✅✅✅

03/09/2024

Get in touch today to discuss getting your vehicle MOT READY !

31/08/2024

Why do a weighing survey ?

The main gain of this is to measure the exact weight of your car on each wheel & take actions to balance it in order to have the car to handle the road/track the best way possible.

In comparison, until you do a corner weighting survey of your car, it is like a human trying to run a marathon with shoes of a different size/weight.

It would completely offset your body & makes the individual very uncomfortable. Same for a car.

29/08/2024

Aston Martin repairs complete for a very happy customer last week !

27/08/2024

Top Tip Tuesday - By monitoring the temperature of various components in your vehicle, a thermal imager can alert you to potential problems before they cause serious damage.

This proactive approach to maintenance can save you from costly repairs down the line and help preserve the resale value of your vehicle.

22/01/2024

2024 Ford 1.0 liter Ecoboost recall

Ford has decided in 2024 to recall 140.000 Ecosports & Focus fitted with the 1.0 liter Ecoboost engine.

1.0 liter Ecoboost engine are 3 cylinders engine fitted with timing belt lubricated with the same engine oil going through the entire engine. They are called BIO engine, for Belt In Oil engine. First 1.0 BIO engines appears in 2012 in Ford Focus & Cmax.

1.0 liter Ecoboost engine is fitted mainly,but not only, in Fiesta, Focus, Ecosport & Puma's.

BIO replacement schedule is 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Scope of the recall:
Concerned Ecosports year model are from 2017 to 2022
Concerned Focus year model are from 2016 & 2018.

Ford Description of the default:
Engine Oil pressure loss as early as 50,000 miles which will deactivate the vaccum pump feeding critical components like the braking system.

Ford Root Cause:
Tensioner caulking breaks down due to engine vibrations, allowing the tensioner arm to fall out of position. It can impact the balance shaft, damaging the tensioner and straining the belt.

Ford Corrective actions:
Upgrade of the tensioner with a shorter arm and a bolted joint.
Upgrade of the timing belt with a new material.

Owners are already being mailed recall notifications, and will be invited in for service at no charge as parts become available.

It has to be noted that other manufacturers like Peugeot, Toyota & VW are using BIO engines & are subject to the same issues. Only Ford has decided to launch a recall so far.

What can you do about it?

1-Use the correct oil:
Ensure that you always use the lubricant specified by the manufacturer, taking in account the viscosity & recommended specification.

2-Lower oil drain intervals:
Oil impurities such as soot and other oil oxidation breakdown debris can get between the belt teeth and pulleys, weakining the belt. Wear on the outer belt coating exposes the undelying materials directly to the oil, which may contain unbrunt or partially combusted fuel that attacks exposed belt materials. In addition, a severe vehicle drive cycle has an impact on the oil drain interval. Severe drive cycles include: driving short journeys,stop-start driving, carrying and pulling heavy loads or long period of idling.

3-Check the belt condition:
Some car manufacturers (Peugeot) or Belt manufacturers (Dayco) recommend a check of the belt every 12,500 to 16,000 miles or 12 months. For example, PSA has developed a specific tool to measure the belt swelling. A BIO must be changed if any indication of damage or swelling is found during these inspections.

4-Reduce belt replacement intervals
BIO recommended replacement is planned between 100,000 & 150,000 miles. Some workshops & dealerships are now recommending shorter replacement intervals by 50%.

There is no obvious indicator to detect issues with the wet belt. However, if the BIO is wearing, the engine may be difficult to start or is likely to misfire and perform erratically at high rpm.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further informations